The Third Daughter by Adrienne Tooley
Release Date: July 18th, 2023
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 320
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Indigo | Indiebound
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Synopsis
A sweeping YA fantasy about legacy, betrayal, sisterhood, and politicizing emotion in the quest for power—all balanced by a slow-burn LGBTQ romance.
For centuries, the citizens of Velle have waited for their New Maiden to return. The prophecy states she will appear as the third daughter of a third daughter. When the fabled child is finally born to Velle’s reigning queen all rejoice except for Elodie, the queen’s eldest child, who has lost her claim to the crown. The only way for Elodie to protect Velle is to retake the throne. To do so, she must debilitate the Third Daughter—her youngest sister, Brianne.
Desperate, Elodie purchases a sleeping potion from Sabine, who sells sadness. But the apothecary mistakenly sends the princess away with a vial of tears instead of a harmless sleeping brew. Sabine’s sadness is dangerously powerful, and Brianne slips into a slumber from which she will not wake. With the fates of their families and country hanging in the balance, Sabine and Elodie hurry to revive the Third Daughter while a slow-burning attraction between the two girls erupts in full force.
A must-read for fans of the BookTok sensations Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson, and These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong.
Review
I am a big fan of Adrienne Tooley’s writing already so when I was given a spot on the book tour for The Third Daughter I was superrrrr excited!
Story
Tooley delivers a unique and enthralling story about religion, politics, and love. I really enjoyed the way that Tooley thrusts you into the story headfirst. We are introduced to Elodie and her siblings, the youngest of which has just been coronated as the new queen because the people believe she is the Third Daughter reincarnated. The eldest daughter, Elodie, has to stand by and watch as her youngest sister, Brianne, and Brianne’s father take the crown that was rightfully supposed to be Elodie’s. I really was not expecting the story to take the turns that it took. Sabine’s introduction into the tale as the poor girl from the docks made for an interesting pair between herself and Elodie. I really enjoyed seeing this story unfold and slowly give us hints as to what really happened with The Third Daughter and why exactly it was Brianne to hold that title. The little snippets that we see of the The Third Daughter’s history really set the stage for the truth as it is uncovered throughout the story.
Characters
I do hope we get to see more character development in the second book, The Second Son. I think that we got to see a little of Sabine’s transformation at the end of the book, but I was hoping to see more from Elodie and Tal as well. It would have been nice to have more scenes of Tal since he will most likely be playing a pivotal role in the next book. But, I will say that I really enjoyed each character, even the smaller ones such as Elodie’s dad. I really hope he comes back in the second book as well. Elodie and Sabine’s siblings are also characters that added a nice touch to the drama of the plot.
Pacing
I thought that the pacing of this book was really well done (I am not surprised at all). I found myself flying through the chapters and really not able to put the book down. The book was perfect parts of world-building and plot driven paragraphs. Tooley is truly a wonderful writing and I always look forward to reading about how she will set the stages for her worlds.
Overall
Tooley delivers once again with a beautifully written sapphic story about the lengths one would go to to protect their family and their country. You’ll be guessing at every turn of this sweet, haunting tale.
Top 5 Reasons to Read The Third Daughter
- Tooley delivers with a wonderful sapphic romance yet again.
- A plot twist in the midst of the story that you really don’t see coming.
- A story within a story that provides the perfect amount of context to the predicament our MCs find themselves in.
- A satisfying book end for both Elodie and Sabine.
- A great ending that perfectly sets up the next book in this duology.
Adrienne Tooley (she/her) was born and raised in the desert suburbs of Southern California. She grew up in the theater, earning her B.A. in Musical Theatre from Point Park University. She and her wife currently live in New York City with their puppy, Kit (short for Biscuit). She is the author of Sweet & Bitter Magic as well as the Indie Next List selection Sofi and the Bone Song. out now from S&S/McElderry. In 2023, she will publish The Third Daughter, the first in a duology from Christy Ottaviano Books/LBYR. In addition to writing novels she is also a singer/songwriter and has released several EPs which are available on Spotify & other streaming sites.
TBR and Beyond Tours Schedule: The Third Daughter
July 17th
Never Hollowed By The Stare – Promotional Post
dinipandareads – Review, Favorite Quotes
July 18th
Ivani’s Book Addiction – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Third Daughter
Paiges of Novels – 15 Reactions While Reading The Third Daughter
thindbooks – Promotional Post
July 19th
deepireads – Review, Favorite Quotes
The Book View – Mood Board, Promotional Post
Avni Reads – Review
Justice for Readers – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Third Daughter
July 20th
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post
The Momma Spot – Review
The Litt Librarian – Review
July 21st
DB’s Guide to the Galaxy – Review
Phannie the ginger bookworm – Review, Playlist
July 24th
Stuck in Fiction – Promotional Post
Charli’s Book Box – Promotional Post
July 25th
Bookish In Bed – 15 Reactions While Reading The Third Daughter
The bibliophilic world – Review
My Bookish Ways – Review, Favorite Quotes
July 26th
forthenovellovers – Review
Book-Keeping – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Third Daughter
Forever In A Story – Review, Mood Board
pluvioreads – Review, TikTok
July 27th
Midsummer Night’s Read – Review
Rampant Reading Reviews – Review, Favorite Quotes
The Girl Who Reads – Review, Favorite Quotes
July 28th
The Book Dutchesses – Promotional Post
Laura’s Bookish Life – Review